Waste: common rules to apply to shipments to non OECD countries

Commissioner Brittan denied that the Commission had adopted a paternalistic attitude with regard to certain non-OECD countries which had refused to accept the import of Community waste. As for the 30 countries which had not yet replied to the questionnaire sent to them by the Commission, Mr Brittan said that the export of waste would be possible only on the basis of explicit approval for the shipment in question. However, he rejected Amendments Nos 3 and 6 on countries that had not replied to the questionnaire as any more restrictive prohibition would penalise legitimate and laudable transactions, for example used clothing from Oxfam. However, he could accept seven out of the ten amendments tabled: namely Amendments Nos 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10.